Stunningly Splendid
The Italians are known for a variety of amazing cultural donations in the realms of culinary, music and most notably, fine art. Artists like Giotto, Donatello and da Vinci all hailed from the great city of Florence, Italy as did our beloved Michelangelo. In the autumn of 1504, Florentines were witness to what is known today as one of the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance. Michelangelo's David finally reached its destination at the Piazza della Signoria after some four days of carefully attentive transporting from the artist's studio.
The 17-foot depiction of King David of the Old Testament was sculpted entirely of a solid piece of marble. Although spectacular, solid marble was a more costly option for artists. Fortunately, for Florentine artists, one of the most well known alabaster quarries lay accessible to their city. True alabaster is a soft, fine-grained form of gypsum that is easily carved. Ranging in colors from whites to pinks, alabaster is slightly translucent and can be made as hard as marble when subjected to intense heat. This was also used to make vases and lamp bases as well as statues and decorative interiors. Because of the fine quality of the alabaster mined in this region, Italian alabaster is also known as ‘Florentine marble.'
Buffalo Trader Online is proud to offer some beautifully crafted pieces inspired by Florentine alabaster. Meaning "bright" in Italian, the Splendore collection by Arte Italica features handmade glass pieces trimmed in extraordinary pewter beading. Enjoy the Arte Italica Splendore Pewter Bead Rimmed Round Platter as a stunning service piece or relish in the simplicity of the Arte Italica Splendore Glass & Pewter Mugs. For those who prefer to observe fine Italian craftsmanship on a more daily basis, BTO also offers the entire Splendore collection for bath!
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